Clinging damage shield

[MarkusDark]

So, I know that I can make Clinging into a Damage Shield, but I am somewhat hazy on the effects it would have. For instance:

Character X is attacker
Character C is the character with the Clinging Damage Shield

X hits C with a hand held weapon. Unless X can do more body damage with a STR only roll, the weapon is stuck on that character and cannot be used.

Now, say X hits C with a punch and cannot beat the clinging strength. How does that affect X?
Can he attack with the other hand?
If so, what happens after he hits with both hands and both feet? Is he trapped or can he still attack?
How does that affect X and C's movement and/or CV's?

Am I missing anything else?

[Sean Waters]

So, I know that I can make Clinging into a Damage Shield, but I am somewhat hazy on the effects it would have. For instance:

Character X is attacker
Character C is the character with the Clinging Damage Shield

X hits C with a hand held weapon. Unless X can do more body damage with a STR only roll, the weapon is stuck on that character and cannot be used.

Now, say X hits C with a punch and cannot beat the clinging strength. How does that affect X?
Can he attack with the other hand?
If so, what happens after he hits with both hands and both feet? Is he trapped or can he still attack?
How does that affect X and C's movement and/or CV's?

Am I missing anything else?

I'd say you have it right. Weapon stuck (X can let go, of course).

Hand stuck. Then the other. Then the feet, then the head. :)

Technically there are no penalties, but I'd ad hoc the equivalent to 'grabbed' penalties for X and 'grabber' penalties for C, unless his casual strength exceeded X's.

Not official, mind, just how I'd personally do it.

[sbarron]

Am I missing anything else?What happens if X is stuck to C, and while X's STR is not enough to break the clinging STR, it is enough to lift C off the ground? Can X pick C up off the ground with his clung fist? Can X slam C into the ground or put C in front of an on-coming subway car, all through his clung fist?

[Kenn]

I don't think Clinging is the power you want here. Clinging isn't a power that one character uses to affect another.

I believe either an Entangle or Telekinisis built with Damage Shield would be more appropos.

[GreyGuardian]

I don't think Clinging is the power you want here. Clinging isn't a power that one character uses to affect another.

I believe either an Entangle or Telekinisis built with Damage Shield would be more appropos.


Page 143 in Hero System 5th revised - damage shield and clinging to create a tar baby like effect.

It does not say if the strength of the damage shield is the base 10 or the character's strength as the base. In the example of usable on others the base strength is 10 and is independent of the character's strength.

[DocSamson]

Ooo...one of my favorite powers. I would discourage creating any other combat penalties above character X being stuck to character C. In many situations that is already a powerful ability for the cost (which stays the same regardless of how high the character's base STR is).

I use this on all of my "Fat Brick" builds. It keeps anyone that can't get free from moving away, which can be a nightmare for melee characters. Also, remember that Damage Shields are triggered by a Grab so a strong character can already stack this effect with other combat effects.

[nexus]

I don't think Clinging is the power you want here. Clinging isn't a power that one character uses to affect another.


As others have stated it is canonical but I don't like it either and don't allow it.



I believe either an Entangle or Telekinesis built with Damage Shield would be more apropos.

That's my feeling as well. Some sort of Naked Advantage on the character's Strength might work as well. It seems like you'd at least have to get Clinging Usable as an Attack and Damage Shield. Especially considering you have to Continuous on an Instant Power to make it a Damage Shield. But there's that weird rule about buying Clinging Usable as an Attack... Seems like a cumbersome way of creating limited Entangle and Telekinesis effects.

[Hyper-Man]

Ooo...one of my favorite powers. I would discourage creating any other combat penalties above character X being stuck to character C. In many situations that is already a powerful ability for the cost (which stays the same regardless of how high the character's base STR is).

I use this on all of my "Fat Brick" builds. It keeps anyone that can't get free from moving away, which can be a nightmare for melee characters. Also, remember that Damage Shields are triggered by a Grab so a strong character can already stack this effect with other combat effects.


This IS the power build to use to build Marvel's Blob.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blob_(comics)

[MarkusDark]

What happens if X is stuck to C, and while X's STR is not enough to break the clinging STR, it is enough to lift C off the ground? Can X pick C up off the ground with his clung fist? Can X slam C into the ground or put C in front of an on-coming subway car, all through his clung fist?

Actually, if he couldn't break the STR of the clinging, then he couldn't lift C off the ground since C can use his clinging to hold his feet to the ground.

I also feel that an entangle damage shield would be more appropo but since it was mentioned in the book, I figured I'd ask. I'll throw this up on the Rules Q&A for Steve's ruling. :)